FROM KABUL TO PARIS: THOSE WHO ESCAPED
After the Fall of Kabul: The Afghan Evacuees
In August 2021, the Taliban seized control of Kabul, marking the collapse of the Afghan government and the sudden withdrawal of Western forces. In the days that followed, a chaotic and urgent evacuation unfolded. Tens of thousands of Afghans — interpreters, journalists, NGO workers, former military collaborators, and their families — fled the country, fearing reprisals.
Exfiltrations were carried out under extreme pressure, often coordinated between Western embassies, armed forces, and informal civilian networks. Some evacuees were flown out of Kabul airport in the final hours before the Taliban took full control, others crossed borders on foot or remained in hiding for weeks before being extracted.
France organized several evacuation flights, bringing Afghan nationals to Paris and other cities. Many of these individuals now live in temporary accommodations, awaiting asylum procedures, searching for stability while carrying the trauma of loss and displacement.
Their journeys are marked by fear, urgency, and survival — but also by dignity, resilience, and the hope of rebuilding a life, far from the land they were forced to leave behind.
FROM KABUL TO PARIS: THOSE WHO ESCAPED
After the Fall of Kabul: The Afghan Evacuees
In August 2021, the Taliban seized control of Kabul, marking the collapse of the Afghan government and the sudden withdrawal of Western forces. In the days that followed, a chaotic and urgent evacuation unfolded. Tens of thousands of Afghans — interpreters, journalists, NGO workers, former military collaborators, and their families — fled the country, fearing reprisals.
Exfiltrations were carried out under extreme pressure, often coordinated between Western embassies, armed forces, and informal civilian networks. Some evacuees were flown out of Kabul airport in the final hours before the Taliban took full control, others crossed borders on foot or remained in hiding for weeks before being extracted.
France organized several evacuation flights, bringing Afghan nationals to Paris and other cities. Many of these individuals now live in temporary accommodations, awaiting asylum procedures, searching for stability while carrying the trauma of loss and displacement.
Their journeys are marked by fear, urgency, and survival — but also by dignity, resilience, and the hope of rebuilding a life, far from the land they were forced to leave behind.
